CHICAGO – It began with a boy and his dream (nightmare?). John LaFlamboy, to be exact, as he took an idea he had in college and made it his life’s work. He owns and operates the HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport (Illinois), which was designed, built and put together by Haunted House experts expressly for the spookiest month of the year. For info on how to purchase tickets, click HellsGate.
Mexico
Clint Eastwood Moseys Into the Sunset in ‘Cry Macho’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 17, 2021 - 3:56pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Clint Eastwood’s return to the western is an amiable-but-relativiely-minor mosey south of the border. The 91-year-old doesn’t embarrass himself, but this small stakes story is far from Clint’s finest hour. In “Cry Macho” Eastwood is a former rodeo cowboy and horse trainer named Mike who has run into hard times after a devastating heartbreak.
‘Bad Boys for Life’ Are Just Too Old For This
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 17, 2020 - 10:32am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Bad Boys For Life” shows that maybe Will Smith isn’t too old for this kind of sh*t, but Martin Lawrence certainly is. This third installment comes 17 years after “Bad Boys II,” and 25 years after the original film unleashed director Michael Bay on an unsuspecting public. It aims to be just as bombastic as its predecessors, but without Michael Bay behind the lens and a lot more jokes about middle age, creaking bones and dying beards.
'Sicario: Day of the Soldado' Ripped From Headlines
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 30, 2018 - 10:47am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – We don’t really know what is going on at the Mexican border, nor if we’re lucky understand the desperation in crossing over. “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is a cynical and sad film, but gives a bit of perspective on the this ongoing situation, especially as it deflates the current presidential administration.
Remake of ‘Overboard’ a Fun & Unexpected Treat
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2018 - 10:51amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When the movie remake of the 1987 charmer “Overboard” was announced last year, immediately my thought was “it will stink.” But the creators of this remake didn’t listen, and produced a charmer of their own, twisting the premise and adding the hope of America. If that ain’t heart, I don’t know what is.
Andy Garcia is Heroic, Story Isn’t in ‘For Greater Glory’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 3, 2012 - 4:23pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “For Greater Glory” attempts to bring back the David Lean style epic – even recruiting Peter O’Toole from “Lawrence of Arabia” to participate – in the story of a Mexican religious war in the 1920s. While a sincere effort, it can’t match the story to the epic history. The cast includes Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria and Bruce Greenwood.
Will Ferrell Experiments with Surreal ‘Casa de mi Padre’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 16, 2012 - 4:10pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Will Ferrell can never be accused of sitting on his comic laurels, nor repeating himself. “Casa de mi Padre” is a complete set-in-Mexico Spanish language film, including Ferrell’s dialogue. Although uneven, it delivers such a peculiar vibe that it can’t help but be admired, at least for the effort.
Love Story of ‘Kites’ Soars as a Marvel of Modern Moviemaking
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 21, 2010 - 4:18am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the most provocative and unusual films this year, or any year, is an amazing production from India entitled “Kites.” American director Brett Ratner (”Rush Hour”) was so taken by this film, that he agreed to edit the original (or remix) for the U.S. presentation. Both versions will be will be in the marketplace for a limited release.
